


Things I Wish I hadn’t Heard

by yeahseemslikeano



Category: Avengers, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Avengers, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Multi, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-04-19 10:35:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14235432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahseemslikeano/pseuds/yeahseemslikeano
Summary: “Do you really wanna know why I left! Because you didn’t want to be with me!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, knowing full well that the rest of the compound could hear her but didn’t care.“I sat there listening to you complain about being with me, talking about how you and Nat were ‘end game,’ how you couldn’t see yourself with anyone but her.”“I didn’t –““Oh just save it, I even stayed behind hoping that, I don’t know, you were going to say something that would redeem you but you said nothing.” And in that moment Bucky said nothing, he couldn’t without digging himself further into the hole he created three years ago.“I have been sitting on my feelings for three years, hoping to never have to tell you this…to never have to see you again.”





	1. Chapter 1

Sion honestly didn’t want to be back here, but Tony had called sounding overwhelmed and completely…un-Tony like. It wasn’t like him to ask for help, so like always she came running. She couldn’t let him deal with this alone, or as alone as he could be with a house full of heroes and AI unit that could do practically anything. The elevator ride was all too familiar, slowly easing through every floor. If she was really trying to avoid going back up there, she would have pressed every button on the keypad to draw out this agonizing situation.

“Do I finally get to meet Uncle Stevie,” the 5-year-old tugged frantically at her sleeve. Currently, this kid was the only thing that brought a smile to her face.

“Yeah, you do! And Nat, and Sam, and Clint, and B—.”

She stopped there like a lump in her throat keeping her from speaking his name. It had been three years since she left, hoping to come back a better, whole person again, and yet she still couldn’t even speak his name. Why did he still have such a hold on her life? She thought she was stronger than this. She thought she was strong enough to let the past go and move on with her life. If not for her, but at least for the sake of the little life clinging nervously to her are. Bucky had come into Sion’s life as gentle as a kiss and left harsher than a slap in the face.

The elevator finally stopped on the communal floor and Sion schooled her features, hoping that her eyes didn’t show how tired she was after the 13-hour flight back to the east coast. The doors opened onto the living room where Tony stood waiting with open arms and a box of chocolate chip cupcakes for Kaine.

“Uncle Tony!” It was a screech loud enough to wake the dead but left Tony and Sion completely unfazed.

“How’s my favorite troublemaker? Are you causing momma Si any more trouble?”

“Nope, I’m a good girl!”

Sion smiled at the both of them, but couldn’t help looking around for that certain someone that liked to lurk in the shadows of the compound.

“He’s not here,” Sion hated the feeling of sadness she felt in the pit of her stomach at Tony’s response. “They’re all gone actually. Got called on a ‘mission’ to retrieve SHIELD intel from a smuggler in Italy. They won’t be back until tonight or tomorrow.”

“And do they know I’ll be here?”

“No, he doesn’t know, but Steve, Bruce, and Nat do. They’ve known since you told me you were coming back.”

“Speaking of me coming back, why am I here exactly.”

“I told you, I need a new lawyer. Someone that understands me and Steve and that has first had experience representing heroes.”

“So, let me get this straight. You called me away from my field placement with the UN just so I could be your own personal attorney for Stark Industries,” Sion pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to alleviate the pressure that was building up.”

“No, no…well yes but also no. You still can work for the UN, but until I can find a someone that can do this job better than you did, I need you. You’re the only one I can trust and someone will be training under you as soon as the committee finally picks a good candidate. You have my word”

“Fine, so how long am I-we going to be here?”

“No more than a year. Just 2 months while we hunt for a new lawyer, 4 months to get them trained and vetted through SHIELD, and the last 6 they’ll be training under you. And everything has been clear with the UN for you to be transferred here, so you don’t have to worry about that part.”

“Okay, I can live with that. That’ll give everyone time to get to know Kaine. But once that year is over with and the academic year for Kaine is done, we’re moving back to Arizona no questions asked.”

“I hear you loud and clear.”

At that point, the elevator dinged signaling the arrival of another person. Sion could hear the voice of someone speaking in there but couldn’t tell who it was. Had it really been that long, that she even forgot the sound of his own voice?

To Sion’s relief, it was only Peter that emerged from the lift and not someone else. Peter froze in the walkway nearly dropping the 4 pizzas he carried in one hand.

“Hey, hey Aunt May I’m gonna have to call you back alright. I’ll talk you soon. Love you. Bye!”

“How’s it going spider thing”

Sion hadn’t expected the force behind Peter’s hug. If anything, she thought that her return to the compound would go right over his head. But as Peter hugged her with rib shattering force she realized how wrong she was.

“Where the He—,” Peter cut himself off when he noticed Tony holding up the 4-foot-tall, 5-year-old in the room. “Where the heck have you been and who is this?”

“I’ve been working, and this, this little sunshine is Kaine.” Kaine tried to say hello through the frosting filling her mouth but had to settle for a frosting covered wave.

“Well hello, Kaine and how old are you?” Kaine held up 5 sticky figures before sliding the hand into her own mouth.

The three of them sat and talked for hours watch the child hopped up on sugar run around the kitchen until she wore herself out.

“Well, I think it’s time for me and the little terror to get some sleep.”

“Can I please play with Peter and Uncle Tony some more?! Pleeease.” Sion would’ve let her too if it weren’t for the way her head tilted to the side and obvious sign that she was mere seconds away from falling asleep.

“Nope, not tonight my dear. But you have the rest of summer to hang out with your Uncle Tony and Peter. How does that sound?”

“Okay, momma Si.” Sion gently picked up Kaine, the child’s legs and arms wrapping firmly around her. In all honesty, Sion had been happy that the rest of the team hadn’t come back tonight. She wasn’t mentally prepared to deal with all the memories that came with seeing him again.

“Good night guys.” She whispered to just Tony, as she noticed Peter slinked across the couch. Obviously, Kaine wasn’t the only one tired out.

Tony showed Sion and Kaine to their rooms. Far from the rest of the team, but close to Steve and Tony’s room, and right down the hall from Peter. Sion tucked Kaine into bed, in the room connected to her, and gently kissed her on the forehead before carefully closing the door.

“Seeing him won’t be as bad as you think, I can promise you that.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because when I saw Steve for the first time after all the shit that he pulled in Berlin and everything that happened in Siberia, I thought I would fall to pieces. I put on a brave face so that no one could see how torn up I was inside. But when I finally came face to face with him again I knew I would be able to move past my own feelings and work on us.”

“You know I have no intentions of getting back together with him right. Especially after what I heard come directly from his own mouth. I can’t put myself through that torture, not when I have Kaine.”

“How is she by the way?”

“I don’t think she fully understands what happened. I mean she’s only 5 and she just lost her mother a year ago, but she doesn’t seem to fully grasp the fact that she’s gone.”

“And how are you doing?”

“I’m painfully trying to keep the pieces together, but I can’t. She was the one person that made me feel like I was worth loving. I loved her and never got the chance to really show her because I was too afraid of someone else throwing me away like I was nothing.” Sion wiped away the tears streaking down her face. This was the first time she had cried since the funeral and in it a way it felt nice finally telling someone about all the feelings she’s kept inside for over a year. “And it’s because of her that I have Kaine, the brightest light in my life.”

Tony hugged Sion, not knowing what to say besides ‘I’m Sorry’ or ‘It’ll be okay’ so he remained silent and let Sion sob until her tears ran dry.

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed too. You’re gonna need some rest for what you’re about to face tomorrow.”

Sion could only nod as she turned into her room and shut her door gently on Tony’s face.

Steve waited to hear the gentle click of the door and the soft footfalls of Tony’s steps before turning the corner.

 

 


	2. Hello Again...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation isn't Sion's strong suit, but she can't stay held up in her room forever. With a daughter that loves exploring, she has no choice but to run into people that she once considered family.

_1 Year ago_

_The rain came down in buckets and flooded the streets in Suburban Tucson. Sion nervously checked the front window for the 6 th time that night, hoping that Aya’s blue Volvo would turn into the driveway at any moment. They had only been together 10 months and Sion could already tell how terrible a driver Aya was, even worse in the rain. 6:00 PM. _

_‘She got off work half an hour ago, where is she?’ Sion returned to the kitchen and stirred the pasta nervously. ‘Come on Aya, you’re making me nervous.’_

_Little feet padded into the kitchen from the living room._

_“Momma, when is mommy getting home?”_

_“Soon I hope.”_

_Just then a pair of headlights pulled into the driveway. The bass of Beyonce’s “Formation” shaking the front window. The refreshing feeling of peace washed over Sion and she breathed a sigh of relief. There was nothing to worry about…this time._

_“Mommy! Mommy!” Kaine’s screams echoed through the house. She struggled to help her carry the grocery bags into the dining room._

_“There you are!” Sion chuckled, trying to play off the unease in her voice and shaky breaths._

_“You weren’t worried, were you? I can tell you right now, I am the best driver you’ll meet this side of the Mississippi.” A pair of arms snaked their way around Sion, and Aya rested her chin on Sion’s shoulder. “Hey! Hey, look at me. Be honest with me you weren’t worried, right? I know my driving is pretty bad but not that bad.”_

_And if we were being honest it wasn’t that bad. But that didn’t make up for the other jackasses on the road that seemed to forget how to drive during the slightest trickle of water. No, Aya was the cautious driver and mindful everything around her. If only more people were like her. Sion turned in Aya’s arms, returning the embrace._

_“I was scared shitless.” The tears welled in her eyes and she buried her face in Aya’s neck._

_“Shh. Shh. I’m here now, safe and sound.” She placed both hands on her checks and gazed into Sion’s eyes. She kissed away the tears that Sion was unable to hold back. “And I’m not going anywhere.”_

_Sion never let herself feel vulnerable, except in moments like these where the rain pattered against the windows and Sion could wrap her arms around the only other person she could call the love of her life. She felt safe here, safe enough to let herself go and breathe._

It wasn’t the dream that woke Sion up this time, but the emptiness she felt on the left side of the bed. Her side of the bed. She disregarded the tears that had already stained her pillowcase and streaked down her face. Sion huffed out a sigh and covered her face with her hands. The dreams were less frequent now but still carried the crushing weight of the first few weeks after Aya’s death.

“Kaine, honey come here.” No response, no thump of little feet. This would’ve made Sion more uneasy if Tony didn’t make it a habit of getting to the little bugger before she could.

Just then there was a knock at the door that rang through the room. Sion forced herself out of bed and forced herself back into reality. She shuffled along the bedroom floor, the grogginess weighting her down. She opened the door to a broad, black cotton covered chest. Before her eyes could meet the face attached to this brick wall two thick arms scooped her up and knocked the wind out of her body.

“Sion, you’ve returned to us!” Thor’s booming voice was enough of a wakeup call and freighted the yawn back into her body.

“Thor…loosen up a bit…I can’t breathe.” Sion wheezed, the air entering slowly into her body. The demi-god released her slightly, just enough for her to get a good look at him from the chest up. “Jesus Christ! When did you cut your hair! Geez, your beautiful hair.”

Thor chuckled while Sion’s fingers combed through Thor’s newly chopped do. It was nice, but it was just another reminder of the people that she left behind and of all the things that changed while she was gone. Sion fought to keep her smile, but Thor could see right through her. He always could.

“What’s the matter, Sion? Don’t you like it?”

“Yes, of course, I do! It’s just…I just…I missed you, that’s all.”

“I missed you too, Sion! Come on, everyone is back from missions, they’ll be happy to see you.”

“How’d you know I was here? I thought Tony only told Steve and Nat.”

“I may have forced it out of Tony when I overheard him talking with Steve.”

“Why am I not surprised.” Sion paused at the threshold of her bedroom door. “Do you think it’s a good idea for me to confront the team now?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Now was a good time as any to get this over with. She would have to confront everyone sooner or later. Although, she’d prefer later. There would be hell to pay from Sam and Shuri. She had all but ignored them since the accident. Although they understood what she was going through, it didn’t make up for her completely shutting them out for weeks at a time.

The trek through the compound, brought back unwanted memories of her life before things changed so suddenly. The thought of turning back and burrowing under the covers had to have crossed her mind at least a dozen times. And the feeling of dread growing with each step.

“You don’t have to do this today, Sion.” Thor sensed her internal struggle and the feeling of fear that washed over Sion like a crashing wave.

“Now is as good a time as any, Hon. I gotta face the music eventually or else I’ll never leave that room again.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here next to you. I won’t let anything happen.” Thor slung his arm around her as a sign of understanding and protection. That little moment was all the push Sion needed to enter the kitchen and into the lions’ den.

Sion heard the various voices of the team and the sound of cooking from the hall.

‘ _At least there’s food.’_ She thought, _‘Everyone’s in a better mood with food.’_

Rounding the corner, Clint spotted you first. Sion found hope in the positive expression on his face. If Clint was happy to see her, then maybe getting through to the others wouldn’t be too difficult. Natasha was the next one to notice you, her eyes following Clint’s. She started to approach you leading the rest of the team to notice you too.

Natasha said nothing as she drew closer to her and Thor’s protective arm tightened around her shoulders. That was until Nat pulled Sion, full force, into her arms.

“Where the hell have you been?” Nat’s voice was muffled since her face was buried in Sion’s shoulder. 

Sion brought her arms around Nat and forced herself to hold back a pained shudder. She let herself fall into the hug and the safety of the embrace.

“I’ve been around.” Natasha’s body shook Sion’s with the force of her wet laugh.

Sion allowed herself to look around at all her friends, the people she once considered her family. When her eyes finally met Bucky’s, she wondered if she could ever consider the team her family again.


End file.
